Archive for the ‘tina fey’ Tag

After the reality and variety, plus TV movie and limited series, we continue our 2016 Emmy prediction series with the hilarious shows and performances from our comedy shows. Last year, Veep dominated winning Series, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Writing. Will they pull off the same feat again this year? Can Jim Parsons come back in the race? And will they finally give up on Modern Family?

Let’s begin by me saying that I think black-ish would have a huge Emmy breakout this season. I mean, sure maybe Anthony Anderson’s surprise nod last year was maybe due to a tie, but whatever. The improved quality of the second season had the critics pushing for it. It’s also somehow of a statement show, and it says a lot that Emmy winner Gail Mancuso decided to submit for this show instead of 4x winner Modern Family here. I’ll also probably predict a lot of Master of None here, and maybe Aziz Ansari follows Lena Dunham and Louis C.K. to pick up nods for their directing and writing efforts too. Silicon Valley, Transparent, and Veep are mainstays here and it’s just a matter of choosing which show will pick up multiple nominations. Thus, bet on current Emmy champ Veep to be it.

It’s unfortunate that Lady Dynamite didn’t have an explosion in terms of reception, but it’s the writers we’re talking about here, and they’re more reactive to quality as compared to the other branches; thus, a pilot written by multiple Emmy winner Mitch Hurwitz does stand a chance to get nominated. After that, we have the same five shows I’m predicting for Directing, though if there’s a spoiler here, maybe Tina Fey gets back in the race, her first since 30 Rock.

Three SNL men have competed here in the past, so it’s not as if it’s something new. After all, they’re working on three entirely different narratives. Fred Armisen is a past SNL member, and we all know how much they love to nominate those previous members even in the past years alone (there’s Tina and Amy and Jimmy (winning twice) and Kirsten and Maya and Bill)! Tracy Morgan has a comeback narrative. I mean have you seen the reception to him when he presented at the Emmys last year? They LOVE him! As for Larry David, this is his first bid at an acting Emmy and him playing Bernie Sanders will help him further. Last year’s winner Bradley Whitford is back at it again, so you can pencil a nomination for him again. Then for the last two spots, I went with two Veep men: Martin Mull who played Bob Bradley, and previous Emmy nominee Peter MacNicol who I’d say is the non-SNL actor frontrunner in here.

I have mixed reactions with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler competing as one especially since this is likely Amy Poehler’s first actual legit bid at an Emmy. But hey, if that’s what it’ll take for her to finally win, then let’s go for it. Joining her is Melissa McCarthy who got nominated for all the times she hosted SNL too, Christine Baranski who’s also a multi-guest nominee for this role. Then there’s Ellen Burstyn who’ll Allison Janney her way to both Guest Comedy and Drama nominations. Oscar winner Anjelica Huston had a much-buzzed stint on Transparent, so I think she’ll be in. Last spot is up for grabs, we have lots of contenders from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, that maybe we can get in a second Guest nod for a solo Tina Fey, or the much-buzzed Lisa Kudrow, but I’ll go on a limb and say that Claire Danes gets in for Master of None. It has that Louie guest stint vibes for me, though that show is infallible as well (Sarah fuckin Baker, everyone).

Tony Hale is a given at this point, especially after winning twice for that role already. Congratulations Ty Burrell, you’re the last man standing from Modern Family, and I think he’s here to stay for the next few years. It would be such an Emmy thing to do to finally stop nominating Adam Driver since he finally made it big as a movie star, but if he can survive last year’s almost Girls shut-out, then maybe he can still squeeze in a nod or two. Tituss Burgess also seems like a possible consecutive nod. His is a role that this category loves if we’re to base it on the history of this. Andre Braugher can easily score another nod, but I think voters are already over Brooklyn Nine Nine by now, and while it is Andre Braugher we’re talking about, there’s a lot of other veterans they can nominate here… which leads me to Laurence Fishburne in black-ish. It’s a tad surprising that even after so many years, Hale has been the only Veep supporting actor nominated but maybe winning Series last year can finally score them an additional acting nod. Since there’s no consensus on who the second actor might be (Tim Simons is probably what critics will push, but Gary Cole is the only other male nominated performance from this show), so go the easy route and predict the most prominent one in the group; thus it’s Hugh Laurie.

It’s hilarious that all eight(!) women from last year are still eligible to be nominated again this year, but since I don’t think we’re going eight here again, I’d say Mayim Bialik and Niecy Nash are the first to go. Allison Janney is definitely back and in contention for a third straight win here, and so is Anna Chlumsky. Jane Krakowski is someone they love to nominate (however, winning is a different story), so I think she’ll be back as well. And it’s safe to say that they won’t be cutting Kate McKinnon in an election season of all years, so there’s four. The last two slots are between 2x previous Emmy champ Julie Bowen of Modern Family and the two Transparent ladies — last year’s nominee Gaby Hoffmann and Judith Light. All three make sense as nominees, but I feel Modern Family is going on a decline here, thus cutting Bowen off in the process.

Let’s begin with those that will surely be back. Of course, there’s no better way to start this than with Jeffrey Tambor who’ll even probably win this again (and deservedly so). After his surprise nod last year, I think Anthony Anderson will be back too, as well as perennial Emmy favorite William H. Macy. Will Forte scooped three major surprise nods last year, so I feel like in a relatively empty category like this one, he has the industry support and clout to pull off another one.Now this is where it gets tricky — sure Louis C.K. and Matt Leblanc aren’t eligible this time around so it’s opening up a free slot (since there are seven nominees last year). I’m currently predicting Aziz Anzari, as mentioned above already, to have his Louis C.K. (or Lena Dunham or Will Forte or whatever) moment, but I won’t be surprised if he gets Ellie Kemeper-ed in the end, meaning lead star of the nominated show snubbed. For now, I’d keep him in. As for that last slot, we can have a Jim Parsons come back again (yes as much as we’re sick of him and his show now) and Don Cheadle has been nominated all seasons his show was eligible (and this is the final season so there’s that), but I’mma go risky and put in Golden Globe winner Gael Garcia Bernal here only because I think Amazon’s really, really aggressive campaigning will at least bear one good result for them.

The question here basically is who are the five other women Julia Louis Dreyfus is beating for that fifth consecutive Emmy? As for starters, there’s Lily Tomlin who got in last year for Grace and Frankie without her partner Jane Fonda. Maybe both of them gets nominated this year, who knows? Then there’s Ellie Kemper who missed last year, but then again, last year is the most competitive category of the race since whenever so maybe it’s safe to say she’s in this year (or is she?) To continue my black-ish breakout year narrative, there’s also Tracee Ellis Ross who’ll be the first black woman to be nominated since Phylicia Rashad exactly 30 years ago (talk about narrative)! With a clear resurgence in quality, I think Lena Dunham will also be back after a year of absence. This can be a way to reward her and her season since Girls feels like an afterthought already. Now I’m definitely crazy for excluding Amy Schumer out. Sure, she doesn’t have a breakthrough big year like last year because not all years can be like that, but the lukewarm reception of this Inside Amy Schumer season feels like it’s ripe for a possible miss. Think of the other one time-nominated performances here (Teri Hatcher and Marcia Cross in Desperate Housewives, Zooey Deschanel in New Girl, Laura Linney in The Big C, Sarah Silverman in The Sarah Silverman Program, Lea Michele in Glee, Taylor Schilling in Orange is the New Black) — all those in really huge breakout seasons that they snubbed after. After all, I think she can get her due in the Variety Sketch category. Now this is where it gets crazier — I’m removing Amy Schumer for a CW actress. The Emmys are so allergic of CW they don’t even nominate their guest actresses (not even when they’re as legendary as Rita Moreno). But I think that sooner or later they’ll cave in. This year, they have two in contention: Globe winner this year Rachel Bloom for Crazy Ex-girlfriend and Globe winner last year Gina Rodriguez for Jane the Virgin. Now I don’t think both are getting in, and while Bloom is the more current one, I’d say the Emmys will be y’know.. like the Emmys and be a year late in acknowledging Gina Rodriguez just like when they nominated Tatiana Maslany when no one’s predicting her anymore.

As for the Series categories, we have two slots freed up this year because of Louie having no season this year and Parks and Recreation‘s departure. While people are toying around with the idea of Modern Family missing already, I’m not sure that will happen yet for this year, at least. They probably have one or two years in them before they get dropped off. Meanwhile all the other four nominees are guaranteed to be back as well – current winner Veep, Transparent, Silicon Valley, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Considering that Netflix is really great when it comes to campaigning their own shows, I’d say Master of None gets in in a category with seven spots. And lastly, I began my mention of it and end with it too –Black-ish seems like its poised for an Emmy breakout. Not only will it be the remaining network representative (especially since Modern Family is on its way out), but it’s about family too, so expect it to be there.

Tomorrow, to complete the list, the cream of the crop among the television dramas!

After doing some of the program predictions, let’s shift to the acting categories this time around considering the Creative Emmy Awards ceremony is just around the corner. We’ll practice ladies first, so let’s do the funny ladies of Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. With no Orange is the New Black eligible this year, it freed up half of the slots from last year, though this year’s lineup is a combination of both old and new names.

Tina Fey has been a stable in this category the last few years, mostly for her hosting stint in Saturday Night Live. This time around, she’s finally nominated for a role in the series (albeit one she created) for her turn in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Her role as the incompetent prosecutor Marcia has been highlighted in her episode “Kimmy Goes to Court!” where we see her character mostly just reacting to the court scenes. This isn’t a bad episode per se, but more of an instant name checking considering the snubbed performances.

Gaby Hoffmann enters this year’s Emmys with a bang easily garnering two acting nominations in the comedy genre. One is for her role in the Comedy Series nominee Transparent, but her nomination here is for her role as Caroline Sackler. Submitting the season finale “Home Birth”, the title refers around Hoffmann’s character episode. When Caroline goes a month earlier into her labor, we see her scream in pain. It’s a pretty loud and showy performance — literally — considering that Hoffmann was nude in all scenes but one. Birth episodes have worked well in the past (once, even an easy way to win an Emmy), so the trend could continue with Hoffman.

Previously nominated for this role already, Emmy winner Christine Baranski got another nod for her role as Leonard’s mother, Dr. Beverly Hofstadfer. In her submitted episode “The Maternal Combustion”, she visits her son though this time we’ve seen her clashing with Sheldon’s religious mother. While this role has brought Baranski two previous nominations already, she has yet to win for this one. She’s lucky though that co-star Laurie Metcalfe was snubbed since it’s hard to play the straight role against the showy ones (which hurts her chances), but maybe her overdue factor can help her with the Emmy win.

While Pamela Adlon has an Emmy under her name, it’s her first time to be recognized for her acting in Louie. In her episode “Bobby’s House”, her character, bearing the same name as her, went into a cross dressing adventure with Louie leading to a sex scene until she addressed the state of their relationship. The performance ended on a dramatic note, but the general feel of the episode paints her as an aggressive sexual woman which, not surprisingly, can garner her more votes.

In the five seasons that it has been on air, Modern Family has guested big stars from Tyne Daly to Minnie Driver and Ellen Barkin to Carol Burnett. But none of them managed to receive a nod for their work on the show. History was rewritten this year when Elizabeth Banks finally got Modern Family its first Guest Actress nomination. As the couple Cam and Mitchell’s friend Sal, we see another side of Banks’ character be more responsible than the usual in her submission “Fight or Flight.” However, she’s really lacking on the screentime in this episode only appearing in the early minutes only to come back and wrap up her storyline in the last few. I think the success of Pitch Perfect 2 paved the way for this nomination, and add the fact that Banks is well liked in the community. But I don’t think a path to win is that clear.

Lastly, for her role as Sheila Jackson, Joan Cusack receives her fifth consecutive nomination (and her second in the Comedy field). In her episode this year, the season opener “Milk of the Gods”, we find Sheila finally living with now husband Frank. However, her attention is focused on Sammi and Chuckie. Her highlighted scene in this episode is her discovery that they had sex in the living room and picking up the dildo below the sofa. Cusack has loss for far better episodes before, but then again, there isn’t anyone close to a real frontrunner here so that might work in her favor.

The only ones I don’t see winning here are Tina Fey and Elizabeth Banks. Both Joan Cusack and Christine Baranski might end up with the trophy if we’re talking about overdue in terms of nominated performances. However, I’m leaning to the two bolder performances – that of a crossdressing Pamela Adlon and a nude Gaby Hoffmann to dominate. While I won’t be surprised to see Adlon take the plum, Hoffmann’s one two punch of nominations this year is an indication of support that can lead to the win.

Now that I’m done with the TV movie and miniseries categories, let’s now begin to dissect the guest acting categories of the drama and comedy series of the past television season. For today, we’ll be highlighting the Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nominees. While I personally am still opposed with combining variety performers into this, it seems like they’re here to stay, but I wish there was room for Sarah Baker in Louie, which will definitely make my personal ballot for this year. Now as for the actual nominees…

Proving that she really has a hold in the guest actress category may it be drama or comedy, Joan Cusack gets her fourth consecutive nomination as Sheila Jackson in Shameless. Not only is she still the most nominated actor from her show, but she still has a perfect track record when it comes to getting nods for all her seasons. The move to comedy is an advantageous move for this one SNL regular since her submission this year is indeed funny. In “Liver, I Hardly Know Her“, we see Sheila resort to an alternative cheaper plan in order to fix Frank’s liver problems only to see it go awry. This ended with a glorious moment for Sheila when she decided to marry Frank in the hospital.

Speaking of SNL ladies, we have Tina Fey getting her fourth nod as well in this category, once again, for hosting the season opener of SNL. At this stage, as much as I love Tina, this is just name checking on their part since she’s not even the focus of this episode, and even her cold opening has her giving the spotlight to the newbie cast members of the said show. Her only funny bit in this is the Girls parody and that happened in the first segment after the intro. The rest of the episode has her but on a limited use.

The other SNL host nominated this year is Melissa McCarthy who’s now enjoying her third bid in this category as a host for this variety program. While I’m still confused how she lost the first year (though in hindsight that was Kathy Bates playing Charlie Sheen, so I should have known better), her material keeps on getting weaker over the years. The same can be said about her hosting stint this year, though I must admit that of all six episodes here, she has the broadest (re: in your face) comedic style in her episode. She gets to be physically funny and does her usual “angry woman” shctick in it. On one hand, this might work to her advantage, but on the other, if she was passed up the last two years, I don’t see how it will all change up for this year then? I have to say though that between Fey and her, the latter’s submission is miles ahead better than the former.

And dominating this category is Orange is the New Black filling up half of the six slots in this lineup. Getting that surprise nod is Natasha Lyonne who plays Nicky Nichols on the show. Lyonne’s submitted episode “WAC Pack” fortunately is a flashback of her character so that works well on her side. But then again, she shares the flashback scenes with that of Laura Prepon’s character, and hers was the dramatic arc of the episode. It has her dealing with the drug addiction, and seeing a mother in Red, and I don’t know if that’s enough to stand out in this race.

Laverne Cox also gets a flashback of her own in the Directing nominee episode “Lesbian Request Denied” which was directed by Jodie Foster nonetheless. As Sophia, we have witnessed in this episode how she deal with her gender reassignment operation and unlike, Lyonne, she was the focus of this episode. It is an open secret though that it wasn’t Cox who played the male version of Sophia in the episode and it was her twin brother, so I don’t know if it will affect the voting pattern. Methinks that people won’t even realize that, and think that it is Cox doing double duties which can work well on her favor.

Lastly, submitting the same episode as co-star Cox is one of TV’s breakout stars Uzo Aduba. Sure it’s crazy (eyes! LOL) to think that she submitted the episode which has her co-nominee’s flashback, but when you watch it, Aduba’s moments were the comedic breathers of the said submissions. In this, she gets to be totally crazy with Piper’s character calling her “dandelion” and following her everywhere. The episode also ends with Suzanne doing a “revenge” to Piper after her continuous dismissal of her. It is a pure comedic performance as compared to the two other Orange ladies.

While I’m not sure if Orange is the New Black will be rewarded with acting wins for lead star Taylor Schilling or supporting actress veteran Kate Mulgrew, I think it will find its win over here. I see it as a two person race between Uzo Aduba and Laverne Cox. Aduba needs to overcome the great moments that Cox had in their submission, though the buzz for her is really growing. However, one factor that might be telling in figuring this out is that the guest tapes aren’t edited for the first time this year, so that puts her at some sort of a disadvantage. Add the fact that it will be a historical moment if the Emmy makes a statement of rewarding a transexual, and I predict Laverne Cox to win the Emmy here via a strong combo of submission and narrative. If they’re not in a giving mood for Orange here, then expect Melissa McCarthy to finally grab a win in this category then.

Prediction: Laverne Cox, “Orange is the New Black“Alternate: Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black“

Hi guys! We’re now past halfway the Emmy week over at Tit for Tat, and after discussing the possible nominees and my predictions for Reality and Variety, and TV Movie and Miniseries, it’s time to continue the prognosticating before Mindy Kaling and Carson Daly announce the nominees on Thursday morning. For this part, our focus will be on the laughter source for the past TV season: COMEDY!

Okay let’s begin with current champ Modern Family. This show has been dominating this category winning the past three years, and a fourpeat is indeed very possible. This Las Vegas episode is one of their more buzzed ones this season, and it’s a very obvious possibility to win as well. Then of course there’s Jodie Foster. Sure she’s no Fincher or Scorsese, but Lesbian Request Denied is a top episode for OITNB’s first season and with the deafening buzz it has, it’s likely she’ll get in here. I’m also predicting the pair of writer/creator/director Louis CK and Lena Dunham. Both have been nominated here for the past two seasons of their shows though I have to say Louis CK is probably the more assured contender here as compared to Dunham. But this semi-sort of creative resurgence for Girls can give her a nod here. As for the last spot, I’m giving it to the duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller simply because they love pilots in here and it’s the most logical pilot in contention, and second, the duo comes from a hit summer film and a great 2014 year so far.

As much as it does not make sense, Episodes is 2/2 so far when it comes to getting a nomination, so it’s really hard to bet against it. Thus, I guess I’m going with it for my first slot here. Then the writing/directing categories is a haven of some sort for pilot episodes, and I think that will put I Wasn’t Ready in a good position for a nomination as well. Louis CK has won in this category two years ago and has three nods under her belt, so a nod is assured. So Did the Fat Lady is his best contender this year, and I won’t be surprised if it goes on and win all the way. The risk I’m doing though is to predict two Louie nominations here, though I guess I’m putting a lot of faith with the writers and they have delivered before. As for Veep, they finally did the right thing of submitting only one episode for consideration, so it’s really easy to rally up at this point, though I won’t be surprised if it misses simply because it’s not even their best episode of the season (Debate anyone?) and that this sort of “submitting only one episode” has backfired in the past (last year’s Arrested Development as for starters).

Right now, two previous winners are in the running this year: Jimmy Fallon for SNL and current champ Bob Newhart for The Big Bang Theory, and I think it will be an easy repeat of nomination for the both of them. Then there’s Louis CK coming back for a consecutive nod for SNL as well. Louis CK is one the Emmys love to nominate and he has been beating his own record the past few years already, so another nod here isn’t surprising at all. I think James Earl Jones will get nommed as well since Big Bang managed to pull of a win for an overdue veteran last year, so they know how to headline their vets to get awards traction. As for Nathan Lane, it’s really hard to argue against him especially if he managed to get in for a cameo-like performance last year. And he even had meatier role this year. The last spot I reserve for that “dramatic” performance that usually gets in every year (Eli Wallach and Bobby Cannavale for Nurse Jackie, and Idris Elba for The Big C the past four years), and this year I think Louie is the show getting that slot, and my bet is on 2x Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner. His performance is very dramatic and no comedy element to it at all, but his sheer star power can and Oscar pedigree can give him an Emmy nod as well.

Despite her SNL guesting going mediocre over the years, it’s hard to bet against Melissa McCarthy getting in once again so that’s one slot. The same can be said for Tina Fey who got in the last three years she was eligible here. In a fair world, none of them are getting nominated. And with Shameless shifting to the Comedy categories , it’s easier to get confident with Joan Cusack’s chances. If she can get in every single year in a more competitive Drama, this one is an easier path to a repeat nomination. And then we have Oscar nominee June Squibb. La Squibb is in contention for three different performances in this category: Girls, Glee, and Getting On. My bet is on Girls though since it’s her baitiest one (she’s on the brink of death, voters!!!). Then as for the last two spots, I have reserved one for an Orange is the New Black. My bet is on Laverne Cox since it’s more of a statement of some sort for someone like her to get awards recognition and her episode submission is basically where her character is the focus of it. But then again, I really wouldn’t be surprised if she missed instead for co-star Uzo Aduba. Aduba has been the viewer favorite character all along, and she’s been working the circuit the past few months. And then the last slot I’m giving to a Louie lady. I went with Sarah Baker with the same reasoning of why I went with Laverne Cox: her episode is the more buzzed Louie one. But then again, she’s up against Oscar winner and Emmy semi-fave Ellen Burstyn. Last year, the Emmy went with the popular Oscar winning actress (Melissa Leo) over the online favorite (Parker Posey), and I won’t be surprised if they follow the same format this year with Burstyn getting in over Baker.

So will Modern Family get four actors again? I won’t be quick to say that again. Last year, Stonestreet missed a year after winning, so I won’t be too easy in thinking they’d get all of them in as well. Let’s get with the easy ones: Ty Burrell is making it in. I think he’s the last standing survivor when the Emmys start to drop it. And for some reason, they have a hard on for Jesse Tyler Ferguson. He’s the only other guy aside from Burrell to get in the past four seasons, so I think he has the other advantage as well. And then of course we have current champ Tony Hale from Veep who probably has a huge chance of repeating that win. I’m also predicting Andre Braugher. I mean if he can get two nods out of Men of a Certain Age, they won’t let the opportunity of nominating him for a comedic role pass by. And of course he’s good in it. I’m going back and forth with Girls’ Adam Driver since he seems like a one time thing, and I’m expecting a decline of nods for the show in general, but between his film projects and his recent Star Wars casting, he’s slowly building the clout to have a strong résumé. The last spot I’m reserving for the two Modern Family men. Ed O’Neill can easily go on for his fourth consecutive nod here, but my hunch is that like Jane Lynch’s comeback last year, Eric Stonestreet will have his this year especially since it’s a crucial season for his character.

Unlike the men of Modern Family, the women have an easier time getting in annually just because there are only two of them in this category. Thus, it’s easy to say that both Julia Bowen and Sofia Vergara will be back as nominees again. And the same can be said for The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik who even got an individual SAG mention earlier this year which pretty much indicates that there’s a level of support for her performance. If only for the reason that she’s in Veep, and I’m sensing an upward trajectory in terms of its overhaul nod, I’m predicting Anna Chlumsky this year too. She doesn’t have a winning season or a winning tape, but I don’t see her being a one time deal here (even if she makes sense as one). And since her last nomination eight years ago, it’s nice to finally see Allison Janney back in the race, even doing some sort of the record Edie Falco had (by winning a Lead Drama and Comedy Actress Emmy) only this time, she’ll do the Supporting one for her role in Mom. This has been some sort of a banner year for Janney in TV if her double wins at the Critics Choice Awards is too looked at. And lastly, we have current champ Merritt Wever versus Kate Mulgrew. It’s quite odd that Wever isn’t a shoo-in when she beat those four ladies I’m predicting as “sure bets” in this category, but it’s the Emmys we’re talking about here, and a surprise of some sort usually happens. The reason I predicted Kate Mulgrew over here there though is that because Mulgrew is a respected veteran who hasn’t been nominated for any Emmy yet, and she seems poised as the most logical supporting actress from Orange to make some sort of impact in this race.

TALK. ABOUT. BARREN. Oh god this category can’t even get any more lively after Alec Baldwin’s exit last year. Well let’s begin with Jim Parsons, as surely he’s one of the two I’m 100% confident in. The other is definitely Louis CK. While his is not the type of performance they usually reward here, a nomination is another thing. So whatever happens in this category (may it be a revamp or the same old line up), those two would manage to be in the final line up. We also have Golden Globe winner Andy Samberg who benefits from a weak line up. If we still have the Carells and the Baldwins here, I’m sure he would be struggling to get a nomination to be honest. And that’s coming from someone who LOVE him in Brooklyn Nine Nine. Just like his show, Matt LeBlanc seems to have his fans in the voting Academy that I won’t be surprised if he gets in again. I mean I had him as an alternate last year and look at what happened. You also get to predict Don Cheadle at this point even if his show stopped making sense a long time ago simply because we have to fill in the six slots here. Oh my god that was very boring to type. And in a certain surprising turn of events, Shameless suddenly decided to shift genres this time, and if there’s one benefit I see happening from that, it’s that William H. Macy can take advantage of this line up to finally get himself a Lead Acting nom. I mean if not him, who else is there? Thomas Middleditch in a show no one cared about? Jonathan Groff in a show everyone cared about… to trash? Canceled sitcom stars Robin Williams and Michael J. Fox? This is so barren that Macy can consider himself lucky. Sadly the same can’t be said about his co-star Emmy Rossum.

I mean at this point who even cares? Let’s just send the Emmy to Julia Louis Dreyfus’ home and we’ll be done with this. Or not. Maybe because she’ll give an extremely awesome speech the way she did the last two years. But yes, Julia’s winning this easily so let’s just see the five other clappers in this category. First we have Edie Falco. Nurse Jackie‘s sort of semi-comeback among awards show contenders means only two things: 1. the show is having some creative resurgence or 2. the field is so empty. I guess I’ll leave the answer to you then. Then we have Lena Dunham in possibly the best season she had as an actress of the show. I think that if the field continues to be this weak here, Dunham can manage to survive one to two more Best Actress nods under her belt regardless of the show’s reception. And then there’s forever the bridesmaid Amy Poehler. At this point, Poehler had done everything to win the Emmy, but voters aren’t really responding to these type of Michael Schur characters (I mean hello Steve fucking Carell). In the past, she already submitted a two parter, achieved a nod when her show is a Series nominee, got Writing and Acting nod the same year and yet none of those still worked. So I guess a nomination would suffice again this year. Then this year’s newbie is filled by Taylor Schilling as the core character from the huge ensemble of Orange is the New Black. That last spot I can see can go to Mindy Kaling (who’s a past nominee for Writing) and her announcing the Emmy nods might be an obvious indicator of that, but I guess I wouldn’t just underestimate Chuck Lorre at this point so I’m going with Mom‘s Anna Faris for the last slot.

And we’re here at the final stretch. Okay let’s get the obvious ones out of the way. Modern Family is soooo getting in so there’s Slot 1. Veep is easily making it for Round 3 so there’s Slot 2. Orange is the new Black is too big to ignore that if there’s only one room for a newbie here, that would be it. So there goes Slot 3. Louie’s msot recent season has been more dramatic than comedic, but it has the critics rallying up behind it that it’s gonna be surprising if it suddenly missed after finally penetrating last year’s line up. And then there’s the fourth slot. The Big Bang Theory hasn’t achieved the same critical and commercial buzz it had last year (and yet it was used to no avail since they did not win Series), so even if their chances somehow weakened, a series nod is still manageable. Now there’s five slots already. As for that sixth slot, it starts to get tricky. On one hand, there’s Brooklyn Nine Nine a.k.a Fox’s only contender in this category. On its side, it’s a freshman show who has some sort of buzz, it’s Fox’s #1 priority here, and it’s a traditional comedy from a broadcast network. However, it’s ratings aren’t something to write home about, it doesn’t have a Tina Fey or an Alec Baldwin in its side, and that Orange is the more buzzed freshman show. Then on the other, there’s Girls. On its hit stride, voters can easily just vote the recurring nominees from last year’s batch and it can easily make it, it’s still getting awards and mentions, and its third season has been some sort of a creative resurgence from critics and fans alike. But then again, it’s not HBO’s priority, and all its buzz has dwindled so fast it’s not even the watercooler show of the season nor of this line up. Of course with the new 2% rule, there’s a possibility that we might get seven nominees in the end, but let’s stick to the current six line up. Now who do I think gets in that coveted last slot. I guess I’m going with Brooklyn Nine Nine by a hair over Girls. I think there’s more buzz for the former and traditional comedy shows still has their hold in this category despite the slow HBO dominance the past few years. Plus, the shelf life for female-led/centric shows are just two seasons and they easily drop them off. Sure Sex and the City is an exception, but Ally McBeal and Glee were lucky enough to get two nods while the likes of Desperate Housewives and ugly Betty have to settle for their only pilot season series nods. So yeah, i’m going with Brooklyn in this one.

Now there you have it. Do you think Allison Janney is finally making that Emmy comeback? Will Shameless shamelessly moving to the comedy category finally catch another acting nod aside from Joan Cusack? And how many Modern Family actors can survive this season? Tomorrow, the last part as we tackle the drama categories! Thanks for reading!

Now that the awards were given and the ceremony is over, let’s give a moment to those who dressed up with such class and panache that if we could have only given Emmys to showing up in top form, they’d definitely be the frontrunners.

As always, you can click the photos for them to be in their larger form. 🙂

All photos courtesy of: omg.yahoo.com

15. PADMA LAKSHMI in Kaufman Franco

Isn’t it amazing that a woman whose show requires her to eat a lot of food all season shows up this gorgeous at the red carpet? Loving this white Kaufman Franco look on Padma, as she puts the P in this perfect ensemble.

14. ANNA GUNN in Romona Keveza

When Anna Gunn showed up at the red carpet in this black and white Romona Keveza creation, I thought she’s missing an accessory. Glad to see her pick it up at the middle of the ceremony as she won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Breaking Bad.

13. ALLISON WILLIAMS IN Ralph Lauren

Simplicity is the key to being sexy. That’s what Williams did when she showed up in this cerulean blue Ralph Laurend dress. It was a combination of simple yet stylish that made her look so effortlessly chic.

12. GIULIANA RANCIC in Mikael D

Who says you need to be an A lister to make a mark on the red carpet? E! correspondent Giuliana Rancic was top notch looking in this blue Mikael D gown she’s wearing. I’m a fan of the intricate details of the gown, and she’s rocking this short do that she’s currently sporting.

11. EDIE FALCO in Escada

Four time Emmy winner Edie Falco finally gets it right, as she looks so comfortable in this blue Escada ensemble. It does not say try hard nor is she wearing it like a hanger. The hair looks perfect as well.

10. JANE KRAKOWSKI in Zac Posen

Maybe I’m just a big fan of this color? But despite being empty handed for her performance in 30 Rock, one area where she certainly was a winner is in the red carpet with this Zac Posen creation. The hair is a bit Kate Walsh-ish though.

09. SOFIA VERGARA in Vera Wang

We’re used to Vergara bringing out all the guns with her red carpet appearances. It’s probably the reason why this red Vera Wang gown worked for her: it’s restrained and gives her some soft looks and doesn’t scream as loud as Gloria Delgado.

08. CARRIE PRESTON in Romona Keveza

She might have won her Emmy for Guest Actress in a Drama Series last week, but that did not stop Preston from going out in top form in this Romona Keveza creation. I understand if you think this is similar to Debra Messing’s 2007 Emmy dress, but I love what Mrs. Michael Emerson brought to the table.

07. KALEY CUOCO in Vera Wang

I don’t know what is it with Vera Wang this year, but she sure did know how to choose for her actresses. Like Vergara, Cuoco looks more softened and relaxed in this plum gown. For once, she doesn’t look a tacky or a try hard which is probably her dressing motto the past few years.

06. EMILIA CLARKE in Donna Karan Atelier

She might not have won the Emmy, but she sure made her presence felt. Daenerys was showstopping in this Donna Karan Atelier ensemble which will tame every dragon there is out there once they see this outfit.

05. ELISABETH MOSS in Andrew Gn

Going blonde has been one of the best fashion decisions Elisabeth Moss has successfully made. That, and wearing this black top on a white skirt Andrew Gn gown at last night’s ceremonies. Now if she can only win an Emmy, then it would have been better.

04. ROSE BYRNE in Calvin Klein

Emmy nominee Rose Byrne might not be nominated this year (she was there to support boyfriend Bobby Cannavale), but she was a delight to see in this pink Calvin Klein outfit which highlighted her statuesque body.

03. TINA FEY in Narciso Rodriguez

So yeah basically this is a big FUCK YOU to everyone who says Tina Fey knows no other color than black. This blue Narciso Rodriguez showed Tina has those dangerous sexy curves. And yes she won an Emmy! ❤

02. JULIA LOUIS DREYFUS in Monique Lhuillier

Seeing what Julia will wear is like one of my most anticipated Emmy moments every year. Girl just knows how to bring it every single year. And she did it again with this very natural look in a shimmering Monique Lhuillier look. Oh and another shiny Emmy.

01. MICHELLE DOCKERY in Prada

So yeah, this might not have been the most original look, but everything about this worked for me. The color combination? Check. The way the top part hugged her body? Check. Neat hair? Check. Michelle Dockery is a goddess, and this is another receipt to back that claim up.

So, who were your favorites last night? And what is your favorite fashion moment? You can pipe them in below!

Down to the last six categories for this year’s Emmys. Let’s go to the lead acting categories for this year’s Emmy awards. And we will begin with the funny ladies of comedy. For this year, shocking snubs went to 2011 winner Melissa McCarthy for her show Mike and Molly. Equally shocking snub goes to Zooey Deschanel of New Girl who was expected to reap up an easy follow up nom for the show’s second season. As for those who ended up with nomination, here are the six ladies in contention.

Since her win in 2010, Edie Falco has consistently received nominations throughout the four year eligibility of her show. However, with her intense competition this year, I don’t think submitting Luck of the Drawing will do her any favors. But then again, who cares? I think even she is not expecting an Emmy this year, though I’m fascinated that she still keeps getting nomination here and from the SAG Awards.

Despite the show’s cancellation, it’s really nice to see that Laura Dern managed to squeak in a nod for her work in Enlightened. Sadly for her, no one has won for a canceled season of any show in a long time in this category. That includes the one in 2006 where 4/5 of the shows won’t be coming back for the new TV season, the lone one whose show is still on won it in the end. With that said, if you see the trends here, seven of the last eight winners won on their pilot seasons of their show. Dern is the only newbie here, so that might work. She submitted All I Ever Wanted which is an amazing tape on its own. But then again, it’s dramatic that it begs the question if they reward dramatic performances in comedy shows or comedic performances only?

For the second year, LenaDunham picks herself an acting nomination for Girls. If last year, she submitted a lukewarm episode with the season finale, this year she did a good job of highlighting a good one by submitting Bad Friend where she got high with her close gay friend. This ended up with a confrontation with another friend and lots of cray cray stuff in between. With that said, I don’t think the nature of her character is one that you’d easily root for, and that’s one of the current trends we’ve seen in this category. But still. I’d give her props for submitting her best acted episode.

Then you also have Amy Poehler in contention. This year, she puts her best foot forward in terms of submission by going with a two parter, which was quite a controversial choice. The combo of Emergency Response and Ben and Leslie puts her in a lot of screentime advantage as these are two separate episodes. It also puts Leslie in a different light as she focuses another side of her with these episodes. However, her character is from a Greg Daniels show and the last time that the Emmys continually nominated one resulted to no wins (that’s Steve Carell in The Office). part of me thinks that Poehler’s Leslie will follow the same fate, especially since she’s still unrewarded and she’s on the fifth season of the show already.

Speaking of hour long submissions, Amy’s gal pal and best friend Tina Fey also submitted a longer episode by going with the series finale. Submitting series finale has worked for the then still unrewarded Sarah Jessica Parker in 2004 but not for the then already rewarded Patricia Heaton in 2005 and Debra Messing in 2006. Given how stiff the competition this year, I think Tina will be joining the latter instead of the former. After all, she has another shot at Comedy Writing which I’m currently predicting for her to win.

Lastly, current winner Julia Louis Dreyfus attempts to be the first back to back winner in this category since Patricia Heaton’s feat in 200 and 2001 for Eeverybody Loves Raymond. Submitting Running is actually an inspired choice since it shows her physical comedy plus an emotional end of the episode. Her glass door scene is probably the most memorable scene of all nominees combined, and it might be enough to pull off the win.

After some thinking, I think that this race is closer among those who have better odds of winning. I don’t see Lena or Edie winning it this year. BFFs Tina and Amy have better odds with their hour long episodes, and I won’t be surprised if one of them wins. However, I’m hesitant with Amy especially if she can’t win with weaker competitions in the past when she’s a frontrunner. Like what I said, Tina can easily be the swansong win of the show, but her chances in Writing are far better, That leaves me with the two HBO girls battling it out. If voters are looking to spread the wealth, then I can see Laura Dern getting a farewell Emmy win for this. But as for my actual prediction, I’d say JLD goes for second time at the podium finally giving her a multiple win for a TV performance. Veep made a good showing at the nominations this year, and this is still the best place to reward it.

It girl Zooey Deschanel gets a nod for playing the title character in FOX’s hit comedy New Girl. In her episode, she tries to learn how to properly seduce the character of Justin Long so she asks the help of the guys, watches porn for practice, and buys kinky S&M outfit. While she was funny on her scenes, her episode also contains an equally hilarious storyline with Schmidt wanting to impress his pregnant boss when and pushed her in the pool. Deschanel can also be lost in the middle of all these performances, but I’d give her props for mixing physical comedy with her usual funny line deliveries.

Lena Dunham is the Emmys’ it girl this year garnering nods for writing, directing, acting, and producing the HBO comedy “Girls”. Sadly, her episode, which is the season finale, didn’t highlight her that much and did not introduce her character well to voters. I actually like her last few scenes from the train to the beach, but I don’t think it will stand out amidst the group of actual hilarious performances by the other nominees. If anything, she’ll get her consolation in the Writing category where she’s the actual frontrunner.

Up until now, Edie Falco still holds the record for the only actress who has wins for Best Actress both in the Drama and Comedy genres. her Comedy win is for the show where in she’s nominated again this year, Nurse Jackie. In her submitted episode, Falco goes to rehab which she dubbed as “Disneyland” and gets a visit from her daughter wherein she pretended that she was working there. This is a very good submission from Falco showing her great acting chops. Is Falco good? Definitely. Is it comedic enough? Nope. And that’s the reason on what will hinder her from the win.

After her first year submission blunder, Tina Fey has been a very good submitter when it comes to the Emmys, that’s why one cannot eliminate and dimish her chances when analyzing and viewing the tapes. The same can be said this year where in Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy portrayed a Batman like stunt to save New York. Fey, complete with hilarious make up and playing various characters, is definitely on the top of her game with this episode and could have been an easy winner any other year. However, like what I mentioned earlier, while Fey is a consistent good submitter, she hasn’t received a second win in this category, and I don’t think this will change this year. There’s no denying though that this is her best submission since Reunion three years ago.

Julia Louis Dreyfus is one of the actresses that Emmy really loves. How she propelled a victory in 2006 is a big testament to that. Since then, she has been a perennial nominee and has received Emmys for both of her last two shows where in she’s a regular. This year, the same pattern happens when she’s nominated for her performance as Vice President Selena Meyer. In her submitted episode, she played the underdog with matching tears after receiving disappointment numbers from the people. Julia’s capability to shift from an underdog lady who misses her daughter to a foul mouthed official when she’s ranting to her staff will definitely stay with the voters. It also helps that the show is received enough even bagging a surprise Comedy Series nomination.

Melissa McCarthy‘s surprise win last year was mainly caused of Bridesmaids, but she has established so much this year that she can make her performance remain on the voters’ radar for the consecutive this year. I’m surprised how strong her tape is, as it dealt with typical Emmy bait when she tries so hard to lose weight to fit in her wedding dress. I think this will work well with voters, and like the case of Jon Cryer, the disdain over her show and surprise Emmy win is what makes others dismiss her Emmy chances. I think that she’s in this race, and while I don’t think she’ll be the one to break the no wins here in this category, among the three past winners, she has what it takes to do so.

Amy Poehler should have an Emmy already in her mantle, and it’s a surprise that she still hasn’t received any after being nominated the last five years (combination of SNL and Parks and Recreation). This year, she submitted the season finale in which it was finally revealed what’s there for Leslie’s political ambitions. I see Poehler’s fate the same as Louis CK’s that if we based it on season long submission, she has a stronger chance, but she submitted an episode that works more on the heart rather than the laughs. Not that it’s a bad thing, and I think it’s a really good submission for Poehler; however, Greg Daniels characters haven’t had any luck in terms of any Emmy recognition, and I sadly don’t see any Emmy for Amy’s way. I’d be totally glad if she pulls it off though.

This is really difficult to predict especially the blunder re:tape of Zooey Deschanel, so every ranking really matters. For all we know, those who got the most number one votes also got the last place ones and someone who’s simply in the middle of the pack wins. For now, I’m going with Julia Louis Dreyfus who combines Emmy predigree, good tape, and right buzz for the win.